Marvel’s Black Widow has $80 million opening weekend haul in theaters. Furthermore, the Scarlett Johansson blockbuster brought in “at least $60 million” in Disney+ Premier Access purchases. The film was was available to purchase on the streamer for $29.99 in addition to playing in theaters. Studios rarely share streaming revenue data this soon, so this is a sign of strength. In addition, it’s vindication of Disney’s dual theater and Disney+ approach during the pandemic. An “A-” CinemaScore shows the film resonated with audiences as well.
“‘Black Widow’s’ strong performance this weekend affirms our flexible distribution strategy of making franchise films available in theaters for a true cinematic experience and, as COVID concerns continue globally, providing choice to consumers who prefer to watch at home on Disney+,” said Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, in a statement.
Black Widow is the Marvel movie since Spiderman: Far from Home premiered two years ago on July 2, 2019. That film followed the events of Avengers: Endgame.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed Black Widow’s release several times. Specifically, the Marvel epic was to release Summer 2020 and has seen multiple moves in release date. It had shifted to May 7, 2021 most recently.
“We’re all eager to get the movie out, but more important than anything, everybody wants the experience to feel safe,” Johansson, returning to the role as Natasha Romanoff, says of the Phase 4 movie’s move to Summer 2021. “[We want to] have people…feel confident about sitting in an enclosed theater.
$100 Million Mark
In a way, Black Widow met our expectation of a $100 million weekend when Disney+ is accounted for. Furthermore, the Marvel film surpassed Universal’s F9 for the title of biggest 2021 opening. Based on survey data from Fandango, we expected the comic book film to surpass F9 in box office.
F9: The Fast Saga’s estimated $70 million opening weekend in the United States was the largest for any movie since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. The Vin Diesel action fest brought in $10.9 million this past weekend. Domestically, F9 accumulated $141.3 million since opening June 25.
